The Umbrella Blog

-written by Saran Fagan,2015-2016 Artist-in-Residence"All art is quite useless." Thus states playwright Oscar Wilde in the introduction to his sole novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray. I tend to agree.Perhaps a gentler way to put it is to quote one of Concord's own, Ralph Waldo Emerson: "Beauty is its own excuse for being." There can be pressure on... Keep Reading »

-written by Saran Fagan, the 2015-2016 Artist-in-ResidenceA logic problem I first heard in grade school has jumped to the forefront of my mind upon changes and revelations in the decades since. Allow me to share the problem as I remember it:"A farmer dies. He has left 17 sheep to be divided a certain way amongst his three sons. One half are to go to his eldest son, one... Keep Reading »

Throughout the summer and fall, the community of Miranda's Hearth built a tiny house on The Umbrella's front lawn as a public art project. The exterior of the house was finished on November 21, 2015 and is documented in a two minute timelapse video, shown below. It took nearly 800 hours, spread out over 34 weekends days with 3-4 volunteers per day to build the... Keep Reading »

written by Sarah Fagan,2015-2016 Artist-in-ResidenceWith winter upon us, one of my favorite outdoor activities enters an off season: mushroom hunting. Mushrooms are quite extraordinary beings. They are more closely related to animals than plants. Some are choice eating, and fetch high market prices. Mushrooms are powerful, and can kill and heal alike. They are... Keep Reading »

written by Sarah Fagan,2015-2016 Artist-in-ResidenceEarlier this month I gave my first talk as the Umbrella's Artist-in-Residence. The topic was the meaningful use of emptiness in art: the power of a Rothko color field, for example. After much musing about the utility of emptiness this month, the world was sure to remind me of the yin to the yang of the void. So this post... Keep Reading »

The Umbrella is excited to open submissions for proposals from Directors for projects which are:Bold. We are committed to producing work that pushes boundaries and presents challenges; encourages the audience to think and feel.Daring. Our programs tell stories and spark conversations. We believe that the stage provides a place for new ideas and voices to be heard.... Keep Reading »

written by Sarah Fagan, 2015-2016 Artist-in-ResidenceA few weeks back, I was at the opening of a show featuring work by myself and two fellow artists who happened to be women. We were all asked if our work sprung necessarily from the feminine, or domestic, experience. My fellow artists mused about their mothers, about the way the home was kept growing up. Eyes... Keep Reading »

Last night, forty five people found their way to The Umbrella Gallery for our second formal ArtTalk, a panel on Creativity and Education. Priscilla Sanville from Lesley University, Brenna McCormick from Emerson College, and Jennifer Hurley-Wales from From the Top sat on the panel, which was moderated by Michael Goodwin and Tracie Dunn from the Concord River... Keep Reading »

The Yale School of Architecture’s First Year Building Project and NeighborWorks New Horizons have teamed up with Artspace and Guest Curator Elinor Slomba to present temporary and permanent artworks throughout the rooms and grounds of the newly constructed house at 193 Winthrop Ave in New Haven, CT. This space is open to the public during City-Wide Open Studios... Keep Reading »

Fold up those lawn chairs, and put away the ball gloves - it’s time for the pleasures of the cooler months. And right here in the heart of Concord, The Umbrella Center will be aglow on many evenings with a new season of theater. Three sought-after directors are on board to work with Brian Boruta, The Umbrella’s Director of Performing Arts, in creating a lineup... Keep Reading »